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I gone through many ideas to protect books so that they last for a long time.

Ideas I have applied:

  • I tried phenile tablet in storage
  • I used to add preservative oil to wooden storage as to not get humid.

My old books get small insects in them, and also odours.

What are sustainable ways to protect books?

How to protect the pages from turning yellow?
How to prevent odours?

I live in India, Ahmedabad where weather stats are as follows:

Temperature : 20°C TO 45°C
Humidity: Near about 30%

|improve this question
  • As Fred suggested in the last question of his answer: can't you consult librarians or scientists in India? – Jan Doggen May 10 '17 at 14:26
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    Are you trying to preserve the books - or the information contained therein? If the information, then you could consider digitizing them. – That Idiot May 12 '17 at 18:26
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+50

Not all books can be saved.

Part of the problem is the materials from which some books have been made.

Some cheaper or older books are made of paper that involved using acid as part of the paper making process. Some of the acid always remains in the paper & over time the acid reacts with moisture in the air & the paper eventually disintegrates.

In recent times, there has been a push to make quality books from acid-free paper.

If paper has been made from wood pulp that has not had lignin removed, the paper will turn yellow, becomes brittle and deteriorates over time.

Older books tend to be made from poorer quality paper. To preserve such books, you need to consult an expert at conserving documents.

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  • This does not address the specific question about insects and odours. – Jan Doggen May 10 '17 at 14:24

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